The program of the Nature and Culture Week is varied and gives you an insight into the history of the Saas Valley. This year you will learn more about the connection between the Saas Valley and the Three Lakes region through the Allalin-Gabbro, the Mattmark accident of August 30, 1965 and the historical treasures of our nature and culture during various guided tours and lectures.
Program 2024
Presentation "History of the formation of the Saas snow mountains"
Professor Lukas Baumgartner, University of Lausanne, gives an impressive account of when and how the high mountains were formed, with a particular focus on the Allalin, Strahl and Rimpfischhorn and the Mischabel group with the Dom.
- Location: Old Cinema, Saas-Fee
- Time: 4 p.m.
- Price: CHF 10.- / person
- Note: Presentation is in German
- Contact: Team Events & Animation | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
Stone polishing course
Under the guidance of the stone-poishing couple Urs and Theresa Brendle, participants can discover the beauty of 4 special Saas Valley stones (2 Allalin gabbros and 2 serpentine stones) for themselves; sawing and multi-stage polishing of the cut surfaces by hand. Result: 4 unique and beautiful, hand-sized stones of your own to take home (one each from the Saas Valley and a field in the Three Lakes region with location).
- Location: Post office, Saas-Grund
- Time: 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. or 13:30 - 15:30 p.m.
- Price: adults CHF 70.-, children and young people (from 10 years) CHF 40.-
- Contact: Team Events & Animation | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
Hike "In the face of the 'eternal' mountains"
Hike along the path of silence from Saas-Grund to Saas-Balen with a picnic along the way.
- Meeting point: Post office, Saas-Grund
- Time: 08:30 a.m.
- Price: CHF 10.- /person
- Contact: Team Events & Animation | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
Presentation "History of the Valais glacier advance into the Swiss midlands 22,000 years ago"
Professor Christian Schlüchter, University of Bern, talks about his 40 years of research into Alpine glaciers, with a particular focus on the huge masses of ice that advanced many times from the Saas and Matter valleys and covered large parts of the Swiss Plateau.
- Location: Old Cinema, Saas-Fee
- Time: 4 p.m.
- Price: CHF 10.- / person
- Note: Presentation is in German
- Contact: Team Events & Animation | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
Stone polishing course
Under the guidance of the stone-poishing couple Urs and Theresa Brendle, participants can discover the beauty of 4 special Saas Valley stones (2 Allalin gabbros and 2 serpentine stones) for themselves; sawing and multi-stage polishing of the cut surfaces by hand. Result: 4 unique and beautiful, hand-sized stones of your own to take home (one each from the Saas Valley and a field in the Three Lakes region with location).
- Location: Post office, Saas-Grund
- Time: 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. or 13:30 - 15:30 p.m.
- Price: adults CHF 70.-, children and young people (from 10 years) CHF 40.-
- Contact: Team Events & Animation | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
Mattmark disaster 1965 at the scene of the event
Three witnesses of the time show what happened where and tell how they experienced it. Supplemented by a historical review of the many previous disasters caused by the Allalin Glacier over the last 500 years.
- Meeting point: Mattmark dam, Saas-Almagell
- Time: 2 p.m.
- Price: CHF 10.- / person
- Note: Presentation is in German
- Contact: Team Events & Animation | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
Presentation "Looking back on the Mattmark disaster of 1965"
Urs Heidegger, writer and historian from Zurich, talks about the results of his years of research into the event of 30.8.1965.
- Meeting point: Gymnasium, Saas-Grund
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
- Price: CHF 10.- / person
- Note: Presentation is in German
- Contact: Team Events & Animation | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
Stone polishing course
Under the guidance of the stone-poishing couple Urs and Theresa Brendle, participants can discover the beauty of 4 special Saas Valley stones (2 Allalin gabbros and 2 serpentine stones) for themselves; sawing and multi-stage polishing of the cut surfaces by hand. Result: 4 unique and beautiful, hand-sized stones of your own to take home (one each from the Saas Valley and a field in the Three Lakes region with location).
- Location: Post office, Saas-Grund
- Time: 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. or 13:30 - 15:30 p.m.
- Price: adults CHF 70.-, children and young people (from 10 years) CHF 40.-
- Contact: Team Events & Animation | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
Presentation "Allalin gabbro in the Three-Lakes Region and its use"
Dr. Peter Thomet, Managing Director of Landschaftserbe Drei-Seen-Land, and Dr. Christoph Nitsche, University of Fribourg, will report on the results of their research into the distribution of the Allalin gabbro in the western Central midlands and its prehistoric use as stone axes by the pile dwellers in the Three-Lakes Region.
- Location: Gymnasium, Saas-Almagell
- Time: 4 p.m.
- Price: CHF 10.- / person
- Note: Presentation is in German
- Contact: Team Events & Animation | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
5-course menu with Allalin extras
Unique sensory experience with Allalin menu and presentations on the beauty of the Allalin gabbro (AG) between courses, presented by artists who work with this unique rock themselves. Exhibition and exchange of AG jewelry stones, AG stone carvings, AG posters, AG music.
- Venue: Hotel Pirmin Zurbriggen, Saas-Almagell
- Time: 6:30 p.m.
- Price: CHF 80.-
- Contact: Team Events & Animation | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
Book launch with concert
The new book by successful non-fiction author, geologist and mountain guide Jürg Meyer about the miracle rock of the Allalin-Gabbro will be published by the renowned Haupt Verlag AG Bern in August 2024. This will be celebrated "at the place where it all happened", in Saas Fee.
Musical accompaniment by cellist Eva Röntz and pianist Reto Reichenbach. Followed by an aperitif.
- Location: Walliserhof Grand-Hotel & Spa, Saas-Fee
- Time: 6.30 p.m.
- Price: free of charge
- Note: limited number of places
Connecting Saas-Fee with Ins BE in the Three-Lakes Region
Connection of Saas-Fee VS with Ins BE in the Three-Lakes Region, with short speeches; unveiling of the traditional Allalin stone block and an information board.
- Location: Steininsel, Saas-Fee bus terminal
- Time: 10:30 a.m.
- Contact: Events & Animation Team | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
Presentation "My exploration of the most beautiful rock in the world on the Allalinhorn"
The 800 m high south-east face of the Allalinhorn consists of a unique, beautiful rock. Its explorer, Jürg Meyer, tells stories of how he climbed the difficult rock face for his doctoral thesis and, as a Basel native, also became a qualified mountain guide.
- Location: Old Cinema, Saas-Fee
- Time: 4 p.m.
- Price: CHF 10.- / person
- Note: Presentation is in German
- Contact: Team Events & Animation | +41 27 958 18 78 | animation@saas-fee.ch
Nostalgic Culinary Mile
The Nostalgic Culinary Mile turns back the clock and presents authentic dishes from the yesteryear, many of which are now almost forgotten.
- Location: Saas-Fee
- Contact: Saas-Fee/Saas Valley Hotel Association | Klaus Habegger | klaus.habegger@walliserhof-saasfee.ch